Super Bowl ad season kicks off early, reports say

The new Jaguar XK is shown during press day at the 79th Geneva International Motor Show, Wednesday, March 4, 2009, in Geneva, Switzerland. The company on Sunday started airing a preview of its Super Bowl ad. The Associated Press

EAST RUTHERFORD —Companies used to keep the witty jokes and the celebrity endorsements behind their Super Bowl ads top secret until game day.

But now, with the power of social media behind them, advertisers are sharing previews of their ads weeks and even months before the teams hit the field, reports Variety magazine.

On Sunday, Jaguar started running an ad that will air on NFL football games and BBC America that gives viewers a sneak peek into what they will see on Feb. 2, Super Bowl Sunday, the magazine said.

Earlier the company held a press conference in which officials said the ad will use a "British Villans" theme to promote the coupe version of the F-Type sports car, USA TODAY reported.

“You think of the Super Bowl as a big tentpole event, a focusing event, but there’s a lot leading up to it,” Jeff Curry, brand vice president for Jaguar North America, told the magazine.

Companies have been generating buzz about their Super Bowl ads with previews before the game since 2011, Variety reported

Volkswagen previewed a Super Bowl ad showing a kid pretending to be Darth Vader, which generated 10 million online views online before the game started, according to the magazine.

Then other companies followed suit.

Companies running video teasers of Super Bowl ads early are betting that Internet users will share them on social media, experts told Variety.

"With the cost of a Super Bowl ad, you want to be able to make sure you’re getting bang for your buck by building up to the event,” Mark Evans, managing director of the media-buying firm MindShare, told Variety. “You will probably see more of that.”